Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



Nov. 4 a 1924- R. A. M CANN RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 8, 1923 Q-@' 2* we tion.

Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE.

RONALD A. MCCANN, 0F SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SW'ISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY:TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

Application filed January 8, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known, that I, RONALD A. MOCANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful 1m rovements in Railway-TraHic-Controlling pparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates torailway traflic controlling apparatus and particularly to apparatus of the type comprising a track way trip which is capable of assuming two positions, one of which I will term the operative and the other the inoperative posioperative position by gravity, and to its inoperative position by suitable power or energy controlled by traflic conditions in advance of the trip. A. function of the trip is to shut off the propelling power or apply the brakes or both, in a railway vehicle, should such vehicle pass the trip when the latter isin the operative position. This is generally accomplished by locating the trip adjacent the track and in" the path of an arm carried by the vehicle, whicharm operates apparatus provided for affecting the power" or brake systems, or both, of the vehicle.- More particularly my invention relates'tothe trackway circuits and apparatus for controlling the energy whereby the trip is moved from its operative to its inoperative position.

The accompanying drawingis a diagrammat-i0 view showing oneform of railway t'raflic controlling apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference character 2 designates'the rails of a railway over which traflic normally moves in the direction indicated by the arrow. These rails 2 are divided by insulating joints 1 into a plurality of track sections AD, D-E, EF, etc. Each section is provided with a" source of track circuit current, which as here" shown is a secondary winding 3 of a track transformer designated by the reference character T with an exponent corresponding to the location, this secondary being connected across the rails adjacent the exit end of the section. Each section is also provided with a track relay designated by the reference character It with an exponent correspondingto the location. This relay The trip is preferably moved to its Serial No. 611,289.

is connected to the rails adjacent the entrance end of the section. Thus it will be seen that each track section is provided with a track circuit comprising a transformer secondary 3, the rails 2 of the section and a track relay R.

The primary of each transformer T is supplied with alternating current from a generator 6 through line wires 5.

A signal S is located at point A and controls tra-ihc in sections A-d) and DE. Another signal S is located at point E and is controlled by sections E-F and FG, and a third signal S is located at point F and controls the two sections to the right of F, only one of which FG, is shown in the drawing. Each of these signals comprises a semaphore arm capable of assuming two positions and indicatingistop or proceed depending on the position of this semaphore arm with respect to its mast.

A train stop-K is located at point E,-'and, as shown in the drawing, comprises a m'agnet coil K and a pivotally' mounted trip K controlled thereby in such amannerthat when the coil K is energized the trip K is: moved into aninoperative position whereinit will not engage the train carried arm of the stop mechanism. hen thetcoil is de-ener'gized the trip is moved by gravity tothe operative position wherein the trip will engage the train carried arm-of the stop mechanism. Since the train carried mechanism is not essential to the complete disclosure of my invention, I have omitted it from the drawing for the sake of simplicity'.

Associated with track relay R is a line relay H and associated with the track relay R- is a line relay H The line relay H is provided with a circuit which passes from one terminal B of a source of energy not shown in the drawingthrough front contact 7-8 of relay R wire 21', front con tact 7-8 of relay R wire 31, and the windingof relay H to terminal C of the energy source. This circuit is closed only when relays R and R are energized similar control circuit is provided for relay H which circuit is closed when relays R and R are energized.

The coil K of the train stop K is normally energized through a circuit which passesffrom terminalB of'a sourcefolf' energy the inoperative position wire 25, coil K and back to the other terminal O of the energy source. This circuit is closed only when the relay E is ole-energized. A third circuit is provided for the stop, which circuit passes from one terminal B of a source of energy not shown in the drawing, through front contact 7-8 of relay R wire 28, front contact 9-11 of relay R wire 26, back contact 1618 of relay H wire 23, coil K and back to the other terminal C of the energy source. This circuit is closed only when relay H is de-energized and relays R and R are both energized and serves to keep the trip in its inoperative position to allow reverse running, that is,

contrary to the direction of traffic controlled by the signals.

Each of the signals S is preferably biased to its stop indication and provided with means controlled by its associated line relay for causing it to move to the proceed indication. Thus for example, the circuit for signal S passes from one terminal B of a source of energy not shown in the drawing, through front contact 14.-15 of its associated line relay H wire 29 and the operat ing mechanism of the signal S Y to the other terminal C of the source. The circuit for signal S is the same as'for signal S and includes a front contact 14.-15 of its associated line relay H The operation of the system is as follows:

Should a train enter section A+D traveling in the direction of the arrow, the relay R being de-energized, will open the circuit of the associated line relay H causing the signal S to move to the stop position. As the train passes into section DE, track relay R is (lo-energized,

. thus closing at contact 7-13 the retaining circuit for the stop K Then as the train enters section'E F itopens relays R and H but the stop remains in the inoperative position until the rear of the train passes out of section DE, this being due to the retaining circuit controlled by relay R lVhile this train is in block EF relay R is energized and relay H is de-energized, and so the stop is in'the inoperative position. Now if a following train enters the block AD, the relay R will be de-energized and the stop will assume the operative position because contact 7-8 of, relay R is open. As this train enters section DE, relay R will be tie-energized, thus closing contact 7-13, but the trip will not move to the inoperative position because contact 32 is open. As a result the trip will stop the train if it attempts to pass point E. Thus complete protection is afforded for following trains innormal direction of traiiic. Also means are provided for automatically moving the stop to its inoperative position for reverse running. Thus, if relays R and R are both energized, and the relay H is ole-energized by a train moving toward the left, the stop is energized through the back contact 16-48 of the relay H as explained above, and the stop is retained in the inoperative position after the train has passed into block DE, by means of the retaining circuit through contact 32 and back contact 7-13 of relay R as in normal operation. But if either section A--D or D-E is occupied, the corresponding track relay will be de-energized, thus opening the clearing circuit for reverse running through its front contact and the train will be stopped by the train stop which will then be in the inoperative position.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form and arrangement of railway trafiic controlling apparatus, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A railway tra'llic controlling system comprising a trackway trip, means controlled by trafiic conditions in the rear of said trip for retaining said trip in its inoperative position and means controlled by said trip for preventing the said first means from moving said trip from itsoperative to its inoperative position.

2. In combination, a trackway trip having an actuating mechanism and a contact which is closed only when said mechanism is energized, a relay controlled by traffic conditions in the rear of said trip; and a circuit for said actuating mechanism including a source of energy, the said contact, and a back contact on said'relay.

8. In combination, a trackway trip comprising an actuating mechanism, a section of railway track in the rear of said stop, a second sect-ion of railway track in the rearof said first section, a" relay controlled by trafiic conditions in said first section, a second relay controlled by traffic conditionsin said second section, a third section of railway track in advance of said stop, a third relay controlled by traffic conditions in said third section; and a circuit for said actuating mechanism, including a source of energy, a front contact of said first relay, a front contact of said second relay and a back contact of said third relay.

4:- In combination, a trackway trip, a railway signal associated therewith and controlled by traffic conditions in advance, means controlled by traffic conditions in advance of said trip for moving the trip to its inoperative position, means controlled by trafiic conditions in the rear of the trip for retaining the trip in its inoperative position, and means controlled in part by traffic conditions in advance and in part by traflic conditions in the rear of the trip for moving said trip to its inoperative position.

5. In combination, three successive sections of railway track, a track circuit for each section including a track relay, a trackway trip located at the junction of the second and third sections, a clearing circuit for said trip controlled by the track relay for the third section, a retaining circuit for said trip controlled by a back contact of the track relay for the second section and by a contact which is closed only when the trip is in its inoperative position, and a reverse running clearing circuit for said trip controlled by the track relays for the first and second sections and by a contact which is closed when the track relay for the third section is de-energized 6. In combination, a trackway trip, a forward and rear section of track, a track circuit for each section including a track relay, a clearing circuit for said trip controlled by the track relay for the forward section, a retaining circuit for said trip controlled by a back contact of the track relay for the rear section and a contact which is closed only when the trip is in the inoperative position, and a reverse running clearing circuit for said trip controlled by the track relay for the rear section and a contact which is closed when the track relay for the forward section is de-energized.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RONALD A. MoCANN. 

